Barny

9.4

Wine 1500 🙈 ; opened for World Cup starting 2026 Mexico and South Africa; The cork popped off…; but still managed to get the fine juice out 😉; Vintage 2006, just like the „Summer Fairy Tale“ of the World Cup in Germany; and the wine leaves you wanting more „mehr Lust“, beautifully aged, fine fruit 😋 Wishing everyone a wonderful and peaceful World Cup — 14 days ago

Kishan Tsang

9.8

One of my all time favourites.

Last one of 2021 left in the collection. Fell in love with this wine in 2022 during a dinner at La Colombe. Great characterful wine from the west coast. You can taste it’s origin in the briny/kelp like taste with a bit of stone fruit, chamomille/jasmine and a touch of fennel/anise. Always a bit lower on the alcoho and acidityl, which makes it a great early drinker. Can’t wait to try the 2024 with 99 points. — 8 months ago

"Odedi"

9.1

Deep purple in color with a short reddish rim.

Pretty nose with cedar, vanilla, wild flowers, chocolates, coffee and black pepper.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing black fruits with cedar, earth, herbs, black pepper, light vanilla, spices, dark chocolates and tobacco leaf.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and cherries.

This is a tasty red blend from South Africa. Soft and smooth with nice complexity. Nicely balanced with a soft mouthfeel.

Needed 4 hours to open up properly, so be patient.

A blend of 36% Mourvedre, 22% Shiraz, 13% Carignan, 11% Grenache, 9% tannant and 9% Petite Sirah.

14% alcohol by volume.

91 points. — 2 years ago

Jerry Mimus

9.1

Very goodnwine but it was too young and therefore tightly wound. Needed to age for at least another 5 years. — 5 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

Wine No. 6 of the 8 Cabernets we tasted blind on Saturday. The idea for this tasting came from Cape Mentelle who annually have an International Cabernet tasting at the winery in WA where they have the confidence to put their wine up against the best Cabernets in the world every year. This has all of the classic Cabernet descriptors of black olive, red fruits, cigar box etc. Ranked #6 of the 8 Cabernets we tasted on the day. Again needs to be cellared to realise its ultimate potential. — 6 years ago

Lyn Farmer

9.2

Pale ruby color, with Pronounced aromas of ripe, jammy strawberry, cherry tobacco and forest floor. Some vanilla comes out along with some tertiary notes. High acidity, medium + body, medium alcohol (13.5%) with the palate mirroring the nose, adding to strawberry and cherry some mineral and earthy graphite notes. Fine grained tannins with a medium finish. complex, with very good quality lacking only a longer finish to bring it up to par with the finest examples from Walker Bay. — 7 years ago

Ming L

9.2

From the excellent 2017 Stellenbosch vintage, this Bordeaux blend leans into its Cabernet Franc (43%) core. Aromas of blackcurrant, plum, and graphite are lifted by a herbal edge. The fresh bell pepper note is quite distinct initially and might be off putting for some. The palate is structured yet balanced, with fine tannins and bright acidity supporting ripe but controlled fruit. Subtle iron and tobacco nuances add depth.

Will continue to improve in the bottle and drink beautifully the next 10-15 years. — 2 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.2

Spier – 21 Gables Pinotage / 2020
Stellenbosch – South Africa 🇿🇦

Overview
A benchmark Pinotage from one of South Africa’s oldest wine estates, Spier (est. 1692). This single-varietal Pinotage highlights both Stellenbosch terroir and the estate’s commitment to sustainability and vegan-friendly practices.

Aromas & Flavors
A concentrated nose of ripe blackberry, plum, and mulberry intertwined with smoky mocha, sweet spice, and a touch of earthiness. On the palate, dark fruit depth melds seamlessly with cocoa and subtle oak.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied yet polished, with smooth, integrated tannins and a long, velvety finish. Rich and powerful, but retaining freshness that keeps it balanced.

Food Pairings
Grilled lamb chops with rosemary, smoky barbecue ribs, roasted root vegetables, or aged Gouda. A natural partner for bold and savory dishes.

Verdict
An exceptional Pinotage that balances tradition with finesse. It showcases why Stellenbosch is considered the spiritual home of the grape, and why Spier remains a leader in South African fine wine.

Did You Know?
Pinotage is South Africa’s signature grape, created in 1925 by crossing Pinot Noir with Cinsault (then known locally as Hermitage). Spier’s “21 Gables” line honors the Cape Dutch heritage architecture of the estate.

🍷 Personal Pick Highlight
A jewel of Stellenbosch. This vintage shows remarkable balance and depth, one of those rare Pinotages that leaves a lasting impression and deserves a spot in any serious collection. — 8 months ago

David White

9.2

Another great Bordeaux blend 51% cab franc from Stellenbosch SAF
15% merlot
Very elegant blend with full feel on palate and lingering aftertaste
Had this a number of times across Africa and found an importer to acquire a quantity for me — 5 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.2

Dense Ruby with a purple rim. Blue and black fruits with a smoky note. On the palate sweet plum and blackberry notes - a nice balance between fruit and savoury factors. Medium bodied finishing with fluid soft tannins of medium minus intensity - largely resolved. Could be Australian in a blind tasting. Probably one of South Africa’s better Syrahs - a country that produces better Cabernet in my experience. A quality Syrah. I was hoping to be able to pronounce the name as we enjoyed tasting the bottle but at the finish it still eluded me. 😉. Tasted again 106 weeks later on 2nd January 2023 with consistent notes. — 6 years ago

Frank Heinz

9.4

Linda Rudolph brought this to us from South Africa — 6 years ago

Dimitri S

9.3

De Toren Fusion V 2001 please!!!
4Aug2019 evening, with our AMS’dam gang.. A fabulous dinner with a magnificent wine to match it!! — 7 years ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.1

vintage 2021 | Lovely to discover 100% cinsault: very light colour, loads of red fruit, raspberry like, balanced taste. Paired with beef tenderloin tartare. — 3 months ago

David White

9.3

Classic well structured Cab Sauvignon at 7 years entering the twilight zone- clean and expressive flavours of cedar tobacco and pencil shavings and earthy traits . This seems to be developing better than 2018 which I must try again for comparison. — 3 months ago

David White

9.3

Deep Ruby with slightly lighter ruby edge nose and palate of dark cherry flavours with some vanilla and tobacco flavours
Still maturing but will last a long time.
Great accompaniment to a NY cut steak. Should further mature for a decade or more.

— a year ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Blend of 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 4% Shiraz, deep Ruby with aromas of dark fruits and cigar box spice. On the palate flavors of blackberry and plum with notes of cacao and tobacco. Lively acidity, fine tannins, long finish ending with fruit, spice and mineral tones. Very nice, will continue to age. — 4 years ago

Fin Jams

9.1

Guava on the nose and guava on the palate...gorgeous yellow colour. Apricots and peaches. Lovely dessert wine but im giving a slight edge to the Groot Constantia Grand Constance. — 6 years ago

Erin Sales

9.0

Syrah, cinsault. Very enjoyable. Dark fruits. Ligt spice. Easy to drink. More ish — 6 years ago

Julie Obermeyer

9.3

Drinking 2011 vintage. Has aged very well. Creamy mouthfeel. Delicious luscious wine Have one more bottle of same vintage and will hold off another six months (if I can) to open — 6 years ago

Ely Cohn

9.3

The Sadie wines are treasures. Eben Sadie makes wine in the ways I’d make wine. Treinspoor is something unique. I’d be shocked if anyone could call the grape blind though it makes sense after you think about it. Tinta Barocca is usually made for Port and you can draw the link to prune, plumb, raisins, spruce, and oak. Bone dry, fleshy tannins. — 7 years ago